Online Programs

When Covid-19 brought a halt to in-person workshops and retreats in March 2020, my ongoing Tuesday Morning Wild Women Writing Circle moved to the Zoom platform. Thanks in no small part to the openhearted, soulful women in the group, the Zoom circle was no pale imitation of our usual joyful and exuberant meetings in the flesh, but a gathering of a different kind.

I missed the loving ritual of baking muffins and fruit crisps for our weekly sessions. But the lit candle and weekly bouquet of tulips were visible in the background, and every week as one woman after another appeared on the screen, we were all grateful to be able to meet and connect, share and write together.

And so it has continued with each of the live online programs I have offered to date. Intimate and intense in spite of the vast physical distances between some of us, it still seems miraculous that we can meet across oceans, mountain ranges, and time zones and enter soul space together.

When I gaze at the array of beautiful faces appearing on the Zoom screen, I often think of Miranda’s exclamation in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest.

Please Click below to see brochures for past online programs.

Wild Woman Writing Circles

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A Deeper Shade of Red ~ A Women’s Body Soul Writing Retreat for the New Year

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Psyche’s Circle: A Nine Month Jungian Study Seminar and Body Soul Writing Program, September 2020 – May 2021

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Jungian Women and the Soul’s Journey

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Braiding Our Stories, Weaving Our Lives; Writing the Lyric Essay

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Participant Reflections

"A heartfelt thanks for driving this caravan of beautiful souls into the heart of the lyric essay. I miss our group already and have many cherished moments from our time together: you reading us the most exquisite opening poems and the epiphanies I was able to discover in the safe space of our circle. Already I am learning that I would like to dance in the depths, as I find that I am drawn into the deep in a very serious manner. To laugh and dance there, as I write and reveal, that is what I yearn for.” (MP)

"Even through the Internet, soul shines through when Marlene leads her workshops, plants her seeds, and nurtures our tender shoots. She always provides meaningful and beautiful readings, whether in her selection of poetry or in other supporting materials. I have been especially struck by the inclusivity - the multi-cultural and ethnic voices she brings to us. The breadth of her knowledge shows up in the specificity of the material, addressing the issues we bring up in the session. It is obvious that she has kept us in her mind and heart during the week because what she brings feels like a response and is spot on. This is true of Lyric Essay and each of her programs. I still remember my first Body Soul Sundays series. Her attention to every detail was so clear to me. I knew that she put all her heart and love into the program. And she has been steadfast in doing that in every offering I have attended over 12 years. I feel cherished and encouraged by the kindness and love within her circles. The world needs what Marlene offers for a million reasons!" (LM)

“Psyche’s Circle is a nourishing container in which each individual woman can begin to shine a light on the images held deeply within her through writing, painting, active imagination, poetry, music and movement, bringing them into consciousness. Marlene, writer, teacher and Jungian scholar with a life-long dedication to the inner life of the soul, brings care, imagination and creativity to help create a circle where the new seeds of growth emerge and are tended with love and attention until they become part of the woven tapestry of our being. I have enjoyed belonging to this circle. It has been a sustaining light in the night-sky of recent times.” (MD)

“Whether in person or online, Marlene expertly weaves together an inspiring mixture of readings, music, and movement to get the creative juices flowing. I had the privilege of participating in the nine-month Psyche’s Circle workshop that began in September 2020. Our monthly Zoom meetings were a beacon of light through some of the darkest months of the pandemic. It was truly a blessing to share a journey into the depths of the feminine archetypes with so many creative women from across the globe. Deep bonds were formed as we shared our prose, poetry and art over the months. I will always treasure our time together and am deeply grateful to Marlene for facilitating our journey with such wisdom and grace.” (EM)

“Psyche’s Circle was a nine-month journey into the myth of the Handless Maiden. Beautifully crafted and facilitated by Dr. Marlene Schiwy, this course allowed me to deepen into this timeless story which I have loved for many years. Through poetry, music, collage, dream work and more, Marlene invited us, a circle of women, to listen to the message of our souls through the symbolism we encountered. Deep, rich, thought-provoking and meaningful, Psyche’s Circle created a container for soul awareness and healing for which I am very grateful.” (CH)

“I would not claim to be a writer but was intrigued by the possibility of being part of a several months long process of self-discovery through writing, in community. I was stimulated, challenged and encouraged by Marlene's gentle guidance, to express my voice in various ways that were new to me. I am very grateful that I could take risks with my writing within a container of support. I am looking forward to continuing this learning journey under her mentorship.” (CM)

“Marlene’s welcoming presence, thoughtful contributions and processes, and encouragement have evoked some really insightful writing for me during Psyche’s Circle, some repeating in different ways and some new thoughts. She used a variety of processes to guide us into our own embodiment of the story - dance, music, poetry, collage - and also gifted us with a wealth of resources for follow up. I particularly valued Marlene’s hour long discussion with each of us as individuals. I was able to gain new insight into a dream that I struggled to understand. I appreciated the affirmation of the cycles in a woman’s life, entering the dark forest again and again in order to grow. I was able to see my life in the fairy tale’s three parts (handless, silver handed, and with human hands) over the years, and clarify my current interest in painting as an example of using my human hands in an authentic expression of who I am now. Marlene’s deep connection with Jungian perspectives added another rich layer of discernment to our conversations. I can see there have been many gifts, including a number of interesting dreams I am still working on, the release of a childhood trauma, and the sense that my hands have a new purpose, a new reaching into my story. A wonderful workshop!” (SW)

“The invitation to join Marlene in studying Jungian Women Writers opened a door to unexpected riches. In addition to learning more about familiar writers, the course introduced gifted, inspiring, provocative writers with whom I was not familiar. An additional gift was the opportunity to engage in this study with like-minded women present for one another and interested in better knowing, understanding and honouring the Feminine within themselves and each other. All of this unfolded within the guidance of Marlene’s wealth of knowledge and her capacity to create an environment for learning and sharing in which disclosures and ideas were heard, respected and valued. In acquiring more cognitive knowledge regarding the concepts and ideas of the writers, under her encouragement and invitation we were afforded the opportunity to move this knowledge from our heads to discover its representation in our bodies as well. This was done through music, movement, poetry and insightful writing processes designed to enhance inner dialogue and awareness. This course is unique, timely, and valuable.” (ML)